🍷 Acidification

Acidification is adding tartaric acid to must or wine to make it fresher. The step is needed in hot years, when grapes ripened too far. The berries gathered a lot of sugar, but little acid remained in them. Without acidification the wine would turn out limp and flat.

Tartaric acid is a natural grape acid, found in the berry itself. It is added in small amounts to restore the wine's balance. The rules on how much and where it may be added depend on the country and climate. In hot regions acidification is allowed, while in cool ones it usually is not: there is enough acid already.

The opposite step is called deacidification, used in cold years. Acidification is an ordinary part of winemaking, like other steps described in the international code of practices of the OIV. Good winemakers try first to harvest at the right time and acidify only when needed. The taste of the wine should stay natural.